Fundraising for the new Military Gallery in the North Dakota State Museum in Bismarck is going well, according to a staff member with the firm hired to help raise the funds.

A $78 million project, it is a collaboration with the North Dakota National Guard Foundation and State Historical Society of North Dakota. The gallery will be part of an addition on the south side of the North Dakota Heritage Center on the Capitol grounds.

“We’re really grateful to have $39.2 million from the state of North Dakota to support this project, and that leaves us with $38.8 million to raise. The good news is we have lead gifts already in,” said Michelle Brislin of Fargo-based PACE Fundraising, who was in Minot for a recent campaign event.

She said the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and Sanford Health are lead donors, having provided major gifts.

Submitted Photo Dr. Bill Peterson, director of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, said the Military Gallery will be a fascinating look at North Dakotans in the military, the military in North Dakota and the impact of this combination around the world. He was among speakers at a campaign event for the gallery held in Minot recently.

“We’ve very happy that they have stepped up and supported us with this effort,” she said.

At some point, she said, they will be looking to the public for support on a broader base by creating ways for people to honor their family members who have served or are currently serving. There’s going to be a lot of opportunities to engage the entire state and everybody. We want this to be something for everyone,” Brislin said.

Brislin, giving some history about PACE’s involvement in the project, said the firm was asked to conduct a feasibility study in 2022.

“What we learned was ‘yes, this is overdue.’ The time is now.”

She said they determined the public really wants a military museum.

“We also learned from the public that they want tangible objects at this museum. While digital will be a part of this – actually a really cool database where you can look up family members who have served. So, it will be modern but having objects to look at,” Brislin said. “They also want to hear the stories of our service members past and present, and how they serve and sacrificed for our country and for our state. I think that is probably one of the most powerful elements of this museum.”

According to U.S. News and World Report, North Dakota is considered one of the most patriotic states in the country, Brislin said, quoting former Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller, who spoke at an event in Bismarck.

“I think it was number four at the time. The fact that we don’t have a space like this to honor, educate and inspire the public and our youth, that needs to be reconciled. I thought that was a really powerful statement,” Brislin said.

She said the N.D. National Guard Foundation hired PACE to take the next step and start planning a campaign.

“We’ve been working on a large-scale capital campaign. One of the first things we did was develop an executive committee. They are our decision makers. They are out there promoting this project and answering a lot of questions and working with the state,” she said.

Brislin said there’s 65 unique individuals who are heavily involved with planning the museum and raising the money for it. She said they are also working with River Architects in Fargo and Ralph Applebaum Associates. She said the latter firm did work on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Kraus-Anderson Construction Company has started the site preparation.

“Between the 65 folks who are planning this, the architectural firms, everybody is working to make this world class, working to make this a very meaningful, memorable experience for visitors,” Brislin said.